<p>well I'm from Germany. I came to the US halfway through 8th grade. I'm a junior in HS looking to graduate in 2012. My dad has a H-1B visa and I have the dependent H4 visa. I DO NOT have citizenship. I still have German citizenship. Having an H4 visa means I can't get a SSN or a job.
Now I've heard many things about how I'll be treated as a college applicant. Lemme just list what I've been told from different sources:</p>
<p>-I'll be treated as a regular US citizen, no exceptions made
-I'll be an international student
-I'll get some "buffer" on my ACT/SAT since English is my second language
Some said I'm a URM, but that doesn't seem right, since I'm still Caucasian.</p>
<p>Not even my guidance counselor knows all the technicalities since he hasn't had a case like this before...so has anybody been in a similar situation?</p>
<p>Academically, you are treated like any other US applicant. (A handful of colleges in the US may ask you to submit TOEFL scores to document your proficiency in English, but 99% of universities will consider 4 years of high school as plenty evidence.)</p>
<p>Tuition wise, you may or may not qualify for in-state tuition at public universities. That depends on your state and is worth investigating.</p>
<p>You do not qualify for federal financial aid (FAFSA and all). Some colleges will give institutional grants to international students, but that will limit your options and might impact your admission chances (even at schools that are need-blind for US citizens). </p>
<p>Last but not least, you could consider switching to an F-1 student visa in college. Student visas come with a limited work permit that allow you to accept off-campus internships relevant to your major and on-campus jobs without restrictions. It would also make you independent of your dad’s visa, which might be beneficial in case he goes out of status (if he loses his job or decides to go back to Europe). You would still be eligible to get a green card with your family if your dad decides to pursue that route. The one big disadvantage of a student visa is that it might make you ineligible for in-state tuition rates at public universities.</p>